Scandal

Scandal – The Robert Sommers Story

by Jeff Pitcher

Drama

Robert Sommers, Minister of Forests in the BC Government is charged, convicted and sent prison in 1956 for fraud – the only politician in the British Crown to serve time. Was he a sly and devious man masquerading as a down home politician or simply a pawn in a much bigger battle within the shady world of forests and politics during the wacky days of Premier Bennett’s Social Government?

2 Acts

Casting
Male: 4
Female: 1

Production HistoryCommissioned by Western Canada Theatre’s Artistic Director David Ross where it premiered in 2005.

“Sommers’ stellar fall from grace, set against a backdrop of political intrigue makes for tragic theatre in this production…aside from revealing the human sides of Sommers’ case…the play clearly portrays BC in the 50s and 60s as a company run province.– Kamloops Daily News

“The tale of Sommers’ decent from high ranking MLA to criminal, as portrayed in Western Canada Theatre’s production of Scandal: The Robert Sommers Story, written by Jeff Pitcher offers up one of the most intriguing political commentaries of power and corruption.

“While the audience is left to decide for themselves whether Sommers is the bad guy or fall guy, they are given pieces of the puzzle and shown glimpses into the character of the teacher-turned-politician…we are shown character flaws history books only hint at.”

“Pitcher – through his well-crafted script – allows the audience to look at themselves in the mirror and decide whether they’d succumb to the temptation.”

“It’s one man’s story that comes as a warning to the rest of us; the results of greed and power are predictable, whether we make the mistake of falling into the same trap as Sommers is our decision.”
- Kamloops This Week, Danna Johnson